# Donal Kelly

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{{Short description|Irish journalist (1938–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Donal Kelly
| image        =
| birth_date   = {{birth year|1938}}
| birth_place  = [Buncrana](/source/Buncrana), [County Donegal](/source/County_Donegal), Ireland
| death_date   = {{death date and given age|df=y|2025|01|03|86}}
| death_place  = [Glenageary](/source/Glenageary), [County Dublin](/source/County_Dublin), Ireland 
| education    = 
| occupation   = {{hlist|Journalist|broadcaster}}
| spouse       = Ann Kelly
| children     = 2
| employer     = {{hlist|''[Irish Press](/source/Irish_Press)''|[RTÉ News](/source/RT%C3%89_News)}}
| years_active = 
|}}

'''Donal Kelly''' (1938 – 3 January 2025) was an Irish journalist and broadcaster, best known for his work with [RTÉ News](/source/RT%C3%89_News).

==Life and career==
Kelly began his journalism career with the ''Donegal People's Press'' before later joining the ''[Irish Press](/source/Irish_Press)''. He joined [RTÉ](/source/RT%C3%89) in 1968. During his career, Kelly covered the [conflict in Northern Ireland](/source/The_Troubles) throughout the 1970s and 1980s as well as various international events. He succeeded [Seán Duignan](/source/Se%C3%A1n_Duignan) as RTÉ's political correspondent in 1988, later becoming political editor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/olive/APA/INA/Default.aspx#panel=document|title=Donegalman new RTÉ pol. corr|publisher=Donegal Democrat|first=|last=|date=18 November 1988|accessdate=5 January 2025}}</ref> In this role, Kelly covered several general election campaigns, as well as state visits by [Nelson Mandela](/source/Nelson_Mandela) and [Mikhail Gorbachev](/source/Mikhail_Gorbachev). He was one of the first presenters of ''[The Week in Politics](/source/The_Week_in_Politics)''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/olive/APA/INA/Default.aspx#panel=document|title=Left breathless by the whirlwiind of politics|publisher=Connacht Sentinel|first=|last=|date=25 March 1997|accessdate=5 January 2025}}</ref> Kelly retired in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0103/1489032-donal-kelly/|title=Former RTÉ political editor Donal Kelly dies aged 86|publisher=RTÉ News|first=|last=|date=3 January 2025|accessdate=5 January 2025}}</ref>

Kelly died on 3 January 2025, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2025/01/04/sadness-at-death-of-buncrana-native-and-rte-editor-donal-kelly/|title=Sadness at death of Buncrana native and RTÉ editor Donal Kelly|publisher=Donegal Daily|first=|last=|date=4 January 2025|accessdate=5 January 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Donal}}
Category:1938 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:The Irish Press people
Category:RTÉ newsreaders and journalists
Category:Broadcasters from County Donegal
Category:People from Buncrana

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Donal Kelly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donal_Kelly) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donal_Kelly?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.